An increased Japanese presence and the return of runners prepared by leading UK trainer Charlie Appleby are firming as key recruitment moves for the Melbourne spring carnival.
When entries closed on Tuesday for the Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup, five Japan-trained horses were among the 56 overseas entries nominated for both races.
Prognosis, with Hong Kong form around last year’s winner Romantic Warrior, is the standout among three Japanese entries for the Cox Plate.
Killer Ability and Hishi Iguazu have also been nominated for Australia’s most prestigious weight-for-age race.
The list of Cox Plate nominations includes 32 individual Group 1 winners.
With Warp Speed all but confirmed as a Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup contender, it seems Japanese trainers are gradually reintroducing Australia to their travel itinerary with the Naosuka Sugai-trained Shonan Bashitto also Cup entry.
Japan provided the winners of the 2019 Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate in Mer De Glace and Lys Gracieux respectively but the pandemic and stringent Racing Victoria veterinary protocols have since kept the country’s representation to a bare minimum.
Appleby has been absent from the Melbourne spring since 2019 for similar reasons.
The 2018 Melbourne Cup-winning trainer has entered four horses for the Caulfield Cup.
Rebel’s Romance, the winner of four Group 1 races in four countries, heads Appleby’s nominations.
Equally, stablemates Nations Pride, Measured Time and Silver Knott all profile as serious spring contenders if they make the trip to Australia.
Nations Pride and Measured Time also hold a Cox Plate nomination.
Racing Victoria's general manager of racing operations Paul Bloodworth said the Breakup's 2023 spring appearance has been the catalyst for added Japanese interest this year.
“That got the ball a little bit rolling again in Japan and showed it could be done to go through our vet protocols and still come here and race competitively in our feature races,” he told RSN.
The Moonee Valley Racing Club received 137 entries for the Cox Plate - down from the 178 nominations in 2023.
But international entries are up from 17 last year to 20 in 2024 with champion Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien lodging 12 nominations.
Caulfield Cup numbers are down marginally on 2023 from 175 to 173 with 24 international entries.
Last year’s winner Without A Fight has been nominated but trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman are yet to lock in a spring program as the outstanding stayer continues a comeback from a tendon injury.
Chris Waller has nominated 24 horses while O’Brien and Ciaron Maher each have 19 entries.
Early favourite Fawkner Park is one of five Caulfield Cup nominations for the newly formed training partnership of Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald.
Maher has entered 13 horses for the Cox Plate, including Pride Of Jenni, who has led betting markets since her astonishing win in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick in April.
